TIRUNELVELI: Doctors working at the District Early Intervention Centre (DEIC) functioning at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) have urged parents of children with congenital defects and developmental disorders to bring them for free treatment available under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.
Dr Subbiah Sriram, nodal officer and paediatrician of DEIC, said that the centre provides specialised treatment to children from birth to 18 years of age. “Our team identifies congenital defects immediately after birth, including congenital heart disease, congenital cataract, congenital deafness, neural tube defects, retinopathy of prematurity, club foot, and cleft lip and palate and these children will receive immediate surgical or medical intervention at our facility, with expert support from private hospitals for complex surgeries,” he said.
He added that during 2023 and 2024, the DEIC handled 262 surgical interventions, including 115 congenital heart defects and other procedures such as cochlear implants for congenital deafness, eye surgeries, and tonsillectomies. The Centre is also equipped to treat malnutrition, anemia, and vitamin deficiency, and offers physiotherapy for children with cerebral palsy.
“Our DEIC is the major referral centre in deep south districts (Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari) for multimodal therapy for children with autism, ADHD, and developmental delays. The therapies offered at the DEIC include psychological assessment, occupational therapy, speech therapy, special education, and sensory and visual stimulation. Autistic children are fully evaluated by our team, comprising paediatricians, psychiatrists, and neurologists, and receive all therapies completely free of cost. In the past 18 months alone, 140 fresh autistic children have been registered at our centre,” he said.
The DEIC has the only pedodontics in deep south districts, Dr Aravind, who provides pulpal therapy, permanent restorations, tooth extractions, oral prophylaxis scaling, and preventive treatments such as fluoride application.
Dr C Krishnamoorthy, head of the pediatric department, said that specialised wards at TvMCH also support the DEIC’s work, including a Hybrid Paediatric ICU, a ward for severe respiratory infections, a dengue ward, and a unit for the Extramural Special Newborn Care Unit. He added, “Parents should not delay in bringing their children to us. Many conditions, if addressed early, can be completely cured or managed effectively.”
TvMCH dean Dr C Revathy Balan said that parents and caregivers from Tirunelveli can contact the DEIV directly to avail these free services. “We aim to ensure that no child in the district is left untreated,” she added.